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Friday, July 26, 2013

Nesting

I am nesting this week. You might ask "why in the world is she nesting, is she going to have a baby or something?" Well yes, to answer your question I am.... sort of. .. I am going to have a baby come to visit; One of my babies I should say. One of the 29 year olds... who no matter the age is still in the same category to me. She is bringing her two precious babies... my precious grandbabies... to visit. , and it has set me to nesting... I am so excited. Steve is too. We are cleaning, rearranging, preparing, planning birthday parties, buying toys at the second hand store... and anything else that seems needed. It has been two years since Marie and the babies have been home.

Today I have cleaned out the pantry... really well. I have cleaned out the fridge, cleaned out the kitchen cabinets, and vacuumed; now I am taking a break to type this post and find a favorite applesauce muffin recipe, because I have some applesauce in the fridge (that I just cleaned out) that needs eating up: muffins is what I am thinking. I am on the verge of cooking up a storm as I nest, because well, I am cleaning out... and nesting (which I think always includes food).

I have been wanting to re-organize my pantry for quite a while, so this "nesting instinct" has helped get it done. I had wanted to buy big organizing jars, but decided it was too much money, so used up all my spare canning jars instead. I love how organized I feel. I got the pantry, baking cabinet, spice cabinet, completely done over with my jars. I had some things in jars already, but this time I did much more.

I marked everything with a Sharpie, because I sometimes forget what in the world is in that jar.... especially since I am prone to experimenting, and well, you get the picture. I have a longing to become really amazing and buy some of the chalk board paint, and paint part of the jars with it, so that I can mark each jar with chalk, and erase when I need to... but I don't think I am going to become amazing after all.. no time or strenght; I will just have to settle for Sharpie directly onto glass. It works well enough and washes off when scrubbed hard.

So if you would have come over to my house this morning, this is what you would have found if you would have opened my pantry door (its like this often, because as I have mentioned in the past, I clean it every other week I think, but in no time it is a mess again... sigh... oh well, what's a mother to do?)

.... and if you would have come a little later, it would have looked like this....

and this...

.... and this.

Because it always gets worse before it gets better doesn't it? I hope you're not thinking "what a slob"... but really, it didn't start out looking like this; it became like this as I pulled everything out.

If you had stayed and had a cup of coffee and chatted with me while I worked, you would have seen it slowly improve.

Almost everything put into jars, or containers.

Why does that look so pretty? I don't know either, but it does.

Baking cabinet organized

Everything washed and cleaned and put away...

My sweet hubby knows how enchanted I am with the red appliances/accessories for the kitchen lately.

So he has bought them for me... our blender was a must, and I just got it yesterday; I am remembering a disaster I had a couple of weeks ago with the old one...what a mess we had. The toaster wasn't a must, but my other toaster really was so, so ugly, and I have had it long enough not to feel too frivolous at the thought of getting a new one. Same goes for the crockpot (the lid was broken on it). The toaster is like a little red sports car don't you think. You would be amazed at how often I shine it up.

I'm fond of blue dishes. My Mom, my girls, my friend Roxy, and my friend Shari, are all blue dish collectors; its fun to share that with them. Red and blue; I love them, but mostly just in the kitchen for me.

11 comments:

I cleaned out cupboards at the beginning of summer, but still have to do the pantry. I like the idea of using the canning jars. I have slowly been adding red back into my kitchen also, my first kitchen had red. Still looking for some red checked curtains or the right material to make some. Love your red bowl on the counter.

I think I am as excited for you all as if I was going as well!! I will just live vicariously through you all okay?! :)

I loved this update Mom and wow, you did quite a lot of organizing! Everything looks and sounds so nice. I remember cleaning out that pantry and noticing how quickly it was messed up again ;) The canning jars make such a difference! I just did a glass jar only in my baking cupboard and it feels amazing! Take loads and loads of pictures! Not that I am the best example of taking pictures lol! So if you don't get as many as I would wish you to, I understand.

Elizabeth, I felt the same way when Daddy was there... as happy as if I were going myself. I still am feeling the "lack" of you here though... you and Winston. So I am excited for the day and can hardly wait for it. Miss you and love you,Mom

Davene,your comment made me chuckle. Ha ha.

Cheryl, I was thinking you might like red in your kitchen too. Love the red checked curtain too.

I love the canning jars Pam. I have most of my dry ingredients in big jars on my cook's shelf - the jars were a gift from my neighbour when she moved. I really need a proper pantry though, my little office is a homeschool library with one shelf for tinned goods etc.We had a big family night last night, my son's 21st and a barbecue with lots of friends from church here. Love having our home full of people. I really should be mopping my floor now but would rather update you - haven't forgotten you and Roxy, please say hi from me. I also delivered china for a bridal shower so one busy weekend and last weekend was markets plus a bridal expo. I will send you some pics as I'm not updating my blog at the moment. Have a wonderful weekend with your family and grandbabies. I'm feeling so blessed to have all 7 children still at home and just savouring this time in our lives. Older ones are at movies, 3 year old just went past the office door on his brother's scooter so glad I chose not to mop the floor just yet!

I also gave my kitchen cupboards a good thorough clean at the start of the summer. I remember looking round half way through and thinking, what on earth have I started here?! So I totally understand the getting worse before it gets better!

AND I also have a red crock pot like yours too!

I can't imagine not getting back home for 2 years! This year it was a full year between our visits home for the first time ever as we hadn't been home since last summer and that seemed like a really long time for me!

Dearest Pam,You deserve a The Good Home keeping Momma Award!!Love the red appliance additions :)Your pantry is always filled with goodies and staples. Love seeing the before and afters. Any job looks three times worst at the 1/2 way mark...Hay I am gonna have me a coffee break with all the sewing I have been doing. Your little cup just smelled so good m-m-m. Miss you!Blessings, Roxy

You make me laugh Pam! I thought that was what all kitchens looked like when cleaning!! I love everything in the jars. I do that a lot too. It's very pretty! All appealing when getting ready to cook or bake. I LOVE all the red appliances!! A must have for me... Anything red, I'm sold! I can't wait to see all of you soon. Give Miss Marie a great big HUG from me.Love you,AmyHave fun and enjoy those grand boys!!

I would love to know what Anne from the above comment means by "chuffed"? I love learning new words, from different places.

A well deserved cup of coffee, after a job well done. Those jars do look so much prettier! My eldest daughter used to do that for me, she'd get a hankering to clean the cabinets and put all of my dry goods in mason jars, and I loved the transformation! I don't know why I ever go back to the regular packaging??? I guess I'm lazy!lol

Have fun w/ those grandbabies! What a special time you all will have, I'm quite certain!